Evaluating Interface Design Through User Data Collection: A Study at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts

This paper examines the effect of user interface and graphic design elements on the visitors use of a program. In order to study these effects members of the The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) Interactive Media Group (IMG) altered the interface of an existing program and compared user data before and after the change. The MIA developed it's third in a series of interactive projects in early 1991. The project "From Silver to Silica: A History of Photography" was conceived as an interactive program about the museum's photography collection. Forty photographers and over 300 works of art are included. The project was intended to be located in the photography galleries in the close proximity to the works of art. In 1989 the MIA adopted an extensive plan to integrate interactive, interpretive programs museum wide. One of the main objectives of the increased emphasis on interpretaive materials was to reach non traditional audiences. These audiences were defined as novice visitors with a moderate to high interest in art, but little or no formal education in art or The MIA defines interactive multimedia as a program which actively engages visitors in accessing audio and visual information. Among the agreed upon criteria is the notion that the interactive project is not an exhaustive survey of the holdings of the museum but rather an overview of the collections. Nor are these projects intended to replace the primary experience between a user and a work of art. The program "From Silver to Silica" was conceived to augment and enhance the other means of exhibition support such as wall labels and guided tours. Using the positive attributes of multimedia, the photography project was designed to serve several learning styles. It was felt that the linear structure of a slide show was preferred by some users, while others might want to explore a visual database on their own. An interface was created to reflect the four areas of exploration that were identified during content development: